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Namibian Wildlife Crimes article archive

This archive of published media articles about wildlife crime in Namibia aims to:

  • provide easy public access to published information and statistics
  • enable easy stakeholder access to articles
  • provide a comprehensive archive of wildlife crime reporting in Namibia

Public access to information is a vital component of ensuring community engagement in prevalent issues. Wildlife crime is one of the pressing environmental issues of our time.

Wildlife crime investigations are generally covert operations requiring utmost confidentiality to succeed. Investigations and prosecutions in complex cases may take months or even years to complete. For this reason, the information that can be released to the public without compromising cases is often limited. Nonetheless, the Namibian government strives to share as much information as possible with the public.

The Namibian media has welcomed this approach and regularly publishes statistics and feature articles on wildlife crime. These are entered into the database at regular intervals, creating a comprehensive archive of wildlife crime reporting in Namibia.

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Displaying results 51 - 80 of 80
Tuesday, 4 May 2021
2021. Mozambique - five detained for possession of ivory, lion teeth, leopard skin and pangolin skeleton.

Five Mozambican citizens were detained by the National Criminal Investigation Service (SERNIC) in Tete city and Chitima, a village in Cahora-Bassa district, on Monday, having being found in possession of 11 elephant tusks, lions’ teeth, a leopard skin and a pangolin skeleton.

Thursday, 29 April 2021
2021. Kenya - two arrested with tusks in Meru.

Two suspects have been arrested at the Meru National Park for being in possession of five elephant tusks weighing 28 kilos with a street value of Sh2.8 million.

Thursday, 29 April 2021
2021. Kenya - Man arrested with an elephant tusk in Tsavo West National Park.

Kenya Wildlife Service has arrested a suspected poacher in possession of an elephant tusk at Elerai area in Tsavo West National Park. The tusk is suspected to be one of the two extracted from an elephant which was killed at Losoito in Tsavo West National Park, close to a month ago.

Wednesday, 28 April 2021
Nair N 2021. White rhino population at KZN nature reserve dehorned.

Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife, funded and supported by conservation NGO Wildlife ACT, dehorned the white rhino population in Spioenkop Nature Reserve in KwaZulu-Natal over three days, making it one of the biggest rhino dehorning operations in the province. On Wednesday, Wildlife ACT, a registered non-profit organisation established to save Africa's iconic and endangered species from extinction, explained that dehorning of rhino populations was adopted as an effective tool in the fight to save the species from increasing poaching threats.

Saturday, 24 April 2021
Watson A 2021. South Africa - suspected poacher killed by elephants and three caught.

This week, an elephant trampled a suspected poacher to death in the Kruger Park after he ran in to a breeding herd trying to escape rangers. Another three suspected poachers have been arrested in the Kruger National Park (KNP), this time in the Crocodile Bridge section at the south end of the almost 20,000km² reserve.

Monday, 19 April 2021
Masweneng K 2021. Five poaching suspects arrested in Kruger National Park.

An anti-poaching operation in the Kruger National Park at the weekend netted five suspected poachers. It was described as a "fruitful" weekend in the Pretoriuskop section of the park, where the suspects were found in possession of ammunition, a silencer and two high-calibre hunting rifles. "We are delighted with our anti-poaching teams who were able to arrest suspects before any animal was killed. The actions are a morale booster for our anti-poaching teams and conservation efforts," said Gareth Coleman, managing executive of the park.

Monday, 19 April 2021
2021. Kenya - Kwale man arrested with 12 tusks.

A Kwale County government officer has been arrested by police officers after being found in illegal possession of 12 pieces of elephant tusks weighing 35 Kg in Matuga sub-county. The 53-year-old county employee, Josphat Mtoi Kuri, works as a clerical officer in Kinango Sub County was arrested inside a local guest house by a team of security officers drawn from the National Intelligence Service (NIS) and Criminal Investigation Department Officers who have been trailing him for some days.

Tuesday, 6 April 2021
Tenywa G 2021. Ugandan policemen held over possession of wildlife products.

Five people including three policemen have ended up in hot soup over possession of wildlife trophies including elephant ivory. According to Bashir Hangi, the Public Relations Manager at Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA), the suspects were arrested in two different incidences in Kampala and Kapelabyong in Teso sub region.

Friday, 5 March 2021
Dykes J 2021. The crackdown on rhino poaching is starting to pay off, but conservation is more crucial than ever.

Although the fight is far from over, rhino poaching is in decline. Tough enforcement is part of the solution, but the power of grassroots conservation mustn't be overlooked The sound of Judge Siboleka's gavel reverberated through the Windhoek High Court on April 19, 2019. Four heads bowed in acceptance of egregious crimes. Sternly, Siboleka extended the sentences of Wang Hui, Pu Xuexin, Li Zhihing and Li Xiaoliang from 11 years to 15. Their charge: the illegal export of 14 rhino horns from Namibia in March 2014.

Thursday, 4 March 2021
2021. Zambian poacher caught in Namibia trying to cross into Botswana.

One suspected Zambian ivory poacher was arrested and four others escaped when they were ambushed by police in Namibia while trying to cross into wildlife-rich northern Botswana. The poachers were accosted by a Namibian border patrol unit on the Namibian side of the Linyanti River as they tried to cross into the Okavango Delta on Thursday night.

Tuesday, 2 March 2021
2021. Roadside bust: Duo caught selling rhino horn in Benoni.

Benoni K9 officers have foiled an illegal sale of a rhino horn. Two suspects aged 38 and 39 were arrested. They were trying to sell the horn along the roadside on Lionel Street, Benoni, east of Johannesburg. Police seized the horn, valued at R80,000, as well as the Mercedes-Benz vehicle they were using.

Monday, 15 February 2021
Pijoos I 2021. Two men bust with rhino horn in Eastern Cape restaurant.

The Hawks have arrested two men after they were found in possession of rhino horn and suspected stolen property in Port Elizabeth in the Eastern Cape.

Sunday, 24 January 2021
2021. Kenya - Two men jailed for 5 years for possession of elephant tusks.

Two men were sentenced to five years imprisonment or a fine of Ksh. 1million each for being in possession of elephant tusks. A joint security team comprising of police and officers from Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) recovered the tusks weighing 28.5 kilograms. The tusks were found to be worth Ksh. 2.85 million.

Friday, 22 January 2021
Mukpo A 2021. Nigeria and Congo becoming major hubs for ivory and pangolin smuggling.

Increased political buy-in for law enforcement and interdiction efforts at ports in East Africa have pushed wildlife smuggling westward to Nigeria. Between 1998 and 2014, the top two countries associated with ivory seizures were Tanzania and Kenya. Since 2014, Nigeria and the Democratic Republic of Congo have overtaken them. Corruption at the ports, the involvement of influential politicians, and rural poverty make Nigeria an aractive waypoint for smugglers.

Tuesday, 19 January 2021
Singh O 2021. Police arrest suspected rhino horn dealer in Gauteng.

Rhino horns weighing more than 70kg were discovered in chicken food mixture in a warehouse in Kempton Park in December. The Hawks arrested a 36-year-old man in Gauteng at the weekend for being a suspected rhino horn dealer.

Friday, 15 January 2021
Steynberg F 2021. Namibia - six arrested for rhino poaching after white rhino killed on private reserve at Okahandja.

Six men suspected of rhino poaching have been arrested after a white rhino bull was poached in the Okahandja district last week. According to the head of the Blue Rhino task team, Commissioner Barry de Klerk, the carcass of the bull - with its horns removed - was discovered around 07h30 on a private game reserve."Detectives from the task force and the protected species unit of the Namibian police launched an intelligence-driven investigation last Saturday. During a secret operation, two suspects, Jeff Makayi Nadango (36) and Stefanus Muyenga Musore (49), were…

Thursday, 10 December 2020
2020. 12 elephants killed in Tanzania by poachers.

At least 12 elephants have been killed in Tanzania in the past three months in what the country's national parks watchdog has described as a new wave of poaching.

Friday, 4 December 2020
2020. Caracals under seize from poachers infiltrating Noordhoek Wetlands.

Caracals living in Noordhoek wetlands are under siege from all sides, facing considerable threats to their survival. This nocturnal and elusive wild cat native to Africa has become a prime target for ruthless poachers who capture them for bushmeat or sell their body parts on the illegal wildlife black market. Caracals also face increased habitat loss and lack of habitat connectivity.

Tuesday, 24 November 2020
2020. South Africa - Kruger rhino dehorned to keep poachers at bay.

As part of its many anti-poaching efforts, the Kruger National Park (KNP) dehorns some of its rhinos to make them a less attractive trophy for poachers.

Sunday, 25 October 2020
Simpson M 2020. South Africa - SANParks laments arrest of employees for alleged rhino poaching.

The employees, two of whom are security guards while the other is attached to technical services at one of the Kruger National Park rest camps, appeared in court on Thursday following the discovery of fresh rhino horns in their vehicle. In a statement released by SANParks on Friday, the Managing Executive for the Kruger park, Gareth Coleman, said it was "always disheartening when colleagues from SANParks are involved in criminal activities.

Thursday, 8 October 2020
2020. 'Dehorned is better than dead': rangers race to protect rhinos as borders reopen.

As international borders reopen, the government has warned game reserves around SA to prepare for a possible resurgence in rhino poaching. Because of this threat, hundreds of rhinos in game reserves in the North West have been dehorned to protect them from poachers. Dehorning involves tracking the animals and darting them before removing their horns while they are sedated. Tracking the rhinos requires two helicopters and teams of people on the ground.

Thursday, 17 September 2020
Smit E 2020. Namibia - 22 rhinos poached this year, down from 46 last year.

This year a total of 22 rhinos and two elephants have been poached. During the same period last year, poachers killed46 rhinos and 13 elephants.

Wednesday, 2 September 2020
2020. 2 black rhino killed for horns near Sesfontein.

Two black rhinos - a cow and calf - were shot and killed in the Sesfontein area in Kunene with an unknown firearm. The animals were dehorned with an unknown sharp object. The incident occurred between 24 and 28 August at Otjomumbonde in the Omatendeka conservancy area.

Friday, 21 August 2020
2020. South Africa - delay in reopening Skukuza court a problem for rhino conservation.

Specialist state prosecutor Advocate Ansie Venter confirmed that the court remains closed, pending Mpumalanga regional court president Naomi Engelbrecht's petition to the Supreme Court of Appeal. The fate of the Skukuza Regional Court continues to teeter as the conservation community waits for the outcome of a petition for leave to appeal a court ruling earlier this year. The court is significant in fighting against rhino poaching, in its recent heyday boasting a 99.8% conviction rate, and 100% success rate in opposed bail…

Saturday, 8 August 2020
2020. Zimbabweans arrested on suspicion of selling ivory.

Three Zimbabwean nationals were on Thursday remanded in custody after they were arrested by the the Hawks in Johannesburg while allegedly selling an elephant tusk.

Friday, 31 July 2020
2020. South Africa - environment minister Creecy says rhino decreased by more than half in first half of 2020 and makes COVID-19 link.

Rhino poaching has decreased by almost 53% in the first six months of 2020, with 166 animals being killed for their horns across the country since the beginning of the year. During the first six months of 2019, 316 rhino had been poached in South Africa.

Wednesday, 29 July 2020
Ncube L 2020. Zimbabwe - Dete man in court for illegal possession of elephant tusks 28 Jul, 2020 - 17:07.

A 53-year-old villager from Dete in Matabeleland North has appeared in court for unlawful possession of four elephant tusks.

Tuesday, 16 June 2020
2020. Police arrest two men in possession of ivory for trade in central Angola.

Lubango, Angola, June 16 (Xinhua) - Two men have been arrested on Tuesday by the National Police of Angola while they were heading towards the central Huila province with 28 kg of ivory.

Thursday, 4 June 2020
Braczkowski A 2020. South Africa - effort to return threatened pangolins to the wild at Phinda.

Each year in South Africa the African Pangolin Working Group (APWG) retrieves between 20 and 40 pangolins through intelligence operations with security forces. These pangolins are often-traumatised and injured and are admitted to the Johannesburg Wildlife Veterinary Hospital for extensive medical treatment and rehabilitation before they can be considered for release. In 2019, seven rescued Temminck’s pangolins were reintroduced into South Africa’s Phinda Private Game Reserve in the KwaZulu Natal Province. Nine months on, five have survived.

Monday, 25 May 2020
Tshikalange S 2020. Sixteen to appear in court for hunting springbok with dogs and knives.

Sixteen suspects who were arrested will appear in the Hofmeyr magistrate's court on Tuesday to face a charge of illegal hunting. The 16 suspects, who range between the ages of 23 and 48 years, were arrested on Sunday for illegal hunting on the farm Gruisheuwel, in the Hofmeyr district.

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